The world No. 1 player achieved her second straight title with a straight-sets victory over Marta Kostyuk at the Brisbane International.
Published January 11, 2026
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in the Brisbane International final on Sunday, defending her Australian Open title without losing a set as she looks to reclaim this month’s Australian Open title.
Kostyuk had defeated top-10 players Jessica Pegula, Mira Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova on her way to the final, but was no match for the U.S. Open champion’s sheer power.
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Sabalenka is determined to reclaim the Australian Open title she relinquished last year and her performance in Brisbane’s heat suggests she will be hard to beat at Melbourne Park this month.
“Thank you to the team for treating me. I’m really the hardest person to handle, but if you can handle me, you guys are the toughest people in the world,” she told the crowd, before directing comments to her partner Georgios Franglis in the stands.
“Thank you boyfriend. I’m going to make another call soon if I can, okay? Let’s put a little more pressure on you, okay?”
Sabalenka dominates Kostyuk
Sabalenka started the first set with a 3-0 lead, but the first serve gave her away and her 23-year-old opponent ate the second, causing a bit of a stalemate.
When Sabalenka looked up to the sky in response to the high, wide spray of bullets, there was that familiar hangdog look, but it didn’t last long.
Sabalenka, who improved to 3-3, cut back on the number of wild swings and put pressure on her 26th-ranked opponent with the sheer power and accuracy of her strokes.
She quickly recovered from the first set, took Kostyuk’s first service game again, and quickly took a 3-0 lead in the second set.
There was no turning back for Kostyuk this time, and she struggled mightily, holding serve just three times until Sabalenka served out and won her 22nd WTA title, sealing the deal with her opponent’s return for her first championship point.
Kostyuk said his thoughts were with the people of his war-torn homeland.
“I play every day with pain in my heart. There are thousands of people without light or hot water,” she said.
“It’s minus 20 degrees Celsius outside right now, so it’s very, very hard to live this reality every day. It’s hard to imagine this because it’s so hot here in Brisbane, but it’s so cold at home that my sister sleeps with three layers of blankets.”
Sabalenka will be aiming for her third Australian Open and fifth major title at the first Grand Slam of the year, which begins on January 18th.
